Face mask with impact dampening

ABSTRACT

A face mask having a grid that is biasly connected to an opposed head contacting side to reduce the impact to the person wearing the face mask.

GOVERNMENT RIGHTS

This invention was not made with Government support. The Government does not have any rights in this invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Masks for sporting events are used to protect the face and/or head from impact from other people, balls, pucks, or surfaces such as the ground, walls, or other structures.

For example, baseball catchers have received concussions from baseballs hitting the facemask.

There is a need for a facemask that absorbs impact from a baseball or other contact.

There is a need to reduce concussions in baseball catchers, and in all athletic events.

There is a need to absorb the shock of a foul tipped baseball, softball, or any ball to reduce the chance of concussion.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is a mask with impact dampening, comprising: a head contacting side; a grid biasly disposed to said head contacting side.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another pictorial view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is another pictorial view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is another pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention and the biasing means;

FIG. 5 is another pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention and the biasing means;

FIG. 6 is a pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention having recessed or flush bolt heads or nuts; and

FIG. 7 is a pictorial view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 being impacted with a baseball showing a direction of impact and the recessed portion being pushed outwardly upon impact.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   10 mask with impact dampening -   20 biasing means -   30 head contacting side -   40 exposed side -   50 direction of impact -   60 means to secure mask to human head OR head strap -   70 grid -   80 rigid bars -   90 bolt -   110 back plate -   120 front plate -   130 spring -   140 bolt head -   150 nut -   160 lock nut -   170 socket head cap

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment on the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the mask with impact dampening 10. In one embodiment there may be a head contacting side 30. The head contacting side 30 may be removably displaced on the head of a user via the means to secure the mask with impact dampening means 60 or head strap 60. An exposed side 40 or front side 40 may be made of a grid 70. The grid 70 may be made of rigid bars 80. The rigid bars 80 may be arranged close enough together to not allow a baseball to go through the rigid bars 80. The grid 70 may be connected to the head contacting side 30 via a biasing means 20. The biasing means 20 may be comprised of a bolt 100 that is biasly disposed through a back plate 110 that is fixedly disposed on the head contacting side 30. Said bolt 100 may also be biasly disposed through a front plate 120 that is fixedly disposed on a grid 70. The grid 70 may therefore be biasly disposed relative to the head contacting side 30.

A spring 130 may be biasly disposed on the bolt 90 between the back plate 110 and the front plate 120.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the mask with impacting dampening 10. The head contacting side 30 is illustrated, and the grid 70 disposed forwardly there from. The grid 70 may be biasly disposed to the head contacting side 30 by a biasing means 20 disposed to the head contacting side 30 and the grid 70. The biasing means 20 may be a bolt 90 that is disposed through a back plate 110 of the head contacting side 30 and a front plate 120 of the grid 70. There may be one or more biasing means 20. In one embodiment there are 4 biasing means 20 disposed at substantially radially equidistant from the next adjacent biasing means 20, is illustrated in FIG. 1. A spring 130 may be disposed on the bolt 90 between the back plate 110 and front plate 120.

FIG. 3 illustrates what may happen if an object, such as a baseball, makes contact with the biasing means 20. The object may travel in a direction of impact 50 and hit a bolt head 140. In this case the bolt head 140 may remain in contact with the front plate 120, and the bolt may be displaced rearwardly thereby displacing the nut 150 rearwardly away from the back plate 110. A lock nut 160 may be secured on the bolt 90 to retain the nut 150 in position with respect to the bolt 90.

FIG. 3 also illustrates an embodiment where the biasing means 20 is connected and disposed within the front side 40 or exposed side 40 and the head contacting side 30 without need for the back plate 110 or front plate 120.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of what may happen when an object is travelling in a direction of impact 50 and impacts with the grid 70. The grid 70 may displace rearwardly so that a front plate 120 moves rearwardly toward a back plate toward the back plate 110. The front plate 120 may move rearwardly away from the bolt head 140, and the back plate 110 may remain in contact with the back plate 110.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, in another embodiment the front plate 120 may move rearwardly away from the bolt head 140, and the nut 150 moves rearwardly away from the back plate 110 in unison. A spring 130 may be disposed between the front plate 120 and the back plate 110.

FIG. 5 illustrates a direction of impact 50, and the impact may push the front plate 120 in the direction of impact 50 to absorb the impact.

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the bolt head 140 and nut 150 being flush within the front plate 120 and back plate 110 respectively.

FIG. 7 illustrates how the direction of impact 50 may force the nut 150 rearwardly. 

I claim:
 1. A mask with impact dampening (10), comprising: an exposed side (40); a head contacting side (30) biasly disposed to said head contacting side.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a biasing means (20) biasly connected to said head contacting side (40) and said exposed side.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a means to secure the mask with impact dampening to a human head (60).
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means to secure the mask with impact dampening means to a human head is a head strap (60).
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said biasing means (20) is a spring (130) secured at one end to said exposed side (40) and at the other end to said head contacting side (30).
 6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said exposed side (40) has a front plate (120) extending therefrom, and said head contacting side (30) has a back plate (110) extending therefrom, and a bolt (90) extends through said front plate (120) and said back plate (110), a spring is biasly disposed on said bolt (90) between said front plate (120) and said back plate (110), a nut (150) securely disposed on said bolt (90) to secure said bolt (90) between said front plate (120) and said back plate (110); whereby when the exposed side (40) encounters an impact, the exposed side (40) is displaced rearwardly in unison with said biasing means (20). 